Monday, April 15, 2013

The silver lining.

Vestigial remnants of the "Tunaomba Serikali"
mindset are to be seen in the utterances of various political leaders
in the wake of the horrific flooding across the country. No one expected
that the turnover to devolution would immediately usher in an era of
self-sufficiency, but it is a little jarring to listen to governors,
senators and members of the National Assembly begging the national
government to intervene to solve one problem or the other caused by the
raging waters. When devolved systems are finally up and running, it is
only the most efficient of the county governments that will be able to
offer their residents the kid of life we see in better run democracies
across the world. This is not to say that the national government has no
role to play; the announcement by William Ruto of the establishment of
an expanded national emergency fund is salutary. But the fund should
only augment what is already being done by the county governments; it
should not supplant those efforts.

Devolution is just one of the
magic bullets in the revolver of the transformation of governance (and
politics) in Kenya. During Moi's twenty-four years at the helm, the
State became a by-word for corruption, inefficiency and the steady
decline in the delivery of public services. It is difficult to blame Moi
for the problems caused by his administration without pointing out that
the foundation was laid by the First President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. In
his zeal to destroy all opposition, Jomo Kenyatta allowed
many things to slide. Now, fifty years after Uhuru, we have the
opportunity to re-shape our destinies, and in devolution we have the
opportunity to engage in policy and decision-making at the grassroots
like never before.

Take, for example, the suffering caused by the
current rains. This is not a new phenomenon. Every year, when the rains
fall, thousands of Kenyans suffer horrific floods and mud-slides. The
Kenya Meteorological Department posts updates on where and when
heavier-than-expected rainfall will occur. The Executive is frequently
aware of this. All the floodplains have been mapped and it is no longer a
question of where there will be floods, but when. So it is surprising
that every year the same faces will be televised to millions of Kenyans
asking for succour from the national government. It is whipsred that in
every disaster is an opportunity for rent-seeking and if this is the
case then the solution is in our hands. IN addition to identifying the
many creative ways for siphoning off relief funds, the national
government together with county governments must establish a mechanism
for early warning, evacuation and rehabilitation. Long term they both
must ensure that flood plains are protected, either through dykes or
some form of canalization. If there are any victims, their welfare must
be the priority of both government; these people must be assisted to
return to productive work in the shortest time possible. The longer the
income-earning members of a family are out of work, the greater the cost
to the government in supporting them. This model could be replicated
for all the disasters that seem to strike with metronomic regularity.

It
is high time that Kenyans gave up the mentality that there is nothing
they can do to help themselves survive their harsh environments.
Grassroots organisation will be bolstered by the new sub-county
structures established by legislation. If citizens had a greater say in
how scarce resources could be allocated, they may feel that they have a
stake in how their governments perform in development and disaster
relief. It will no longer be a question of whether they will receive
support from their governments but how that help will be channeled.
Their participation in day-to-day governance issues will give them an
opportunity to shape their fates. It s the only way that the phenomenon
of "Tunaomba Serikali" can be eradicated once and for all.